Friday, 4 December 2009
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
The Game of War
"For Debord...the challenge is to envisage the terrain in which tactics could yield a strategy for transforming the architectural terrain, and the point at which this could be effected is the intersection of the architectural terrain with the communication terrain that doubles it, producing new spaces for maneuver against new vulnerabilities. Where Constant imagines the whole of earth as a space for play, Debord inquires into the accumulated experience of contesting social forces that might make this other kind of play possible. War is the effigy of play. A certain kind of conflict, perhaps a new kind, has to be won before play can appear as more than a caricature of itself, screened off within its closed circle, fading into a dream..."
Mckenzie Wark, The Game of War: Debord as Strategist, Cabinet Issue 29
Mckenzie Wark, The Game of War: Debord as Strategist, Cabinet Issue 29
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
US NOW
Ivo Gormley and co., the documentary film makers who reported the third game, have made a film called Us Now, and it's about how new technologies and a closely related culture of collaboration present radical new models of social organisation. Their project brings together leading practitioners and thinkers in these fields and asks them to determine the opportunites they present for government.
It's being aired on More4 at 11.10pm this Friday the 10th, or watch it at http://watch.usnowfilm.com/.
That is all.
It's being aired on More4 at 11.10pm this Friday the 10th, or watch it at http://watch.usnowfilm.com/.
That is all.
Friday, 26 June 2009
Sunday, 21 June 2009
CTF SUSSEX
We have had our ears to the ground and we have heard that there will be a game of Capture the Flag on Thursday the 25th of June on the South Downs, near the University of Sussex campus.
More details will follow if we get them.
Otherwise, to conduct an adventure, get down to Brighton and start asking Questions.
More details will follow if we get them.
Otherwise, to conduct an adventure, get down to Brighton and start asking Questions.
CAPTURE THE FLAG III - SPITALFIELDS - GAME REPORT
"Written descriptions can be no more than passwords to this great game"
Guy Debord, Theory of the Derive, 1958
Guy Debord, Theory of the Derive, 1958
Thursday, 18 June 2009
The CO-RITUS Action Manifesto 1962
Strid, Nash, Kunzelmann, Fjord, Thorsen, O'Brien and Marion
1. By this protest the artists are taking over their natural field of activity.
2. We encourage artists from other fields: Poets, Musicians, Architects to take over their natural field of activity: Snatch the television, the theatres, the radio, the townplans out of the hands of the cultural industry and the cultural entrepreneurs employed by the state.
3. We demand the inner city to be laid out as field of activity for artists. All department stores are cleared out and the market halls are made into living workshops, and the window displays are used for detournements.
4. We praise Willhelm Freddie and his fight for artistic freedom. We demand a city filled with public orgies.
5. Now we have begun with Montergade. But we demand the possibility of expansion. We demand the city enchanted. Every modern city has become a means of supressing the possibilities of human play.
6. For renewed work with the inner city we demand that architects and artists study the unitarian urbanism and start experimental work with incident architecture.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Slogans painted at Møntergade 1962
Nash, Thorsen, Kunzelmann
1. The designer of the city is a counterfeiter.
2. Culture is culture industry. Culture industry is swindle. Swindle is the same as work: Culture industry = organised free time.
3. Today the planning of the human environment only aims at planning schematic forms of life.
4. Culture industry and the city planners are pulling people around by the nose.
5. The world and all means of communication should be open for the playful acts of creation.
6. The culture industry makes people believe that they participate in culture.
7. The city = organised emptiness.
1. The designer of the city is a counterfeiter.
2. Culture is culture industry. Culture industry is swindle. Swindle is the same as work: Culture industry = organised free time.
3. Today the planning of the human environment only aims at planning schematic forms of life.
4. Culture industry and the city planners are pulling people around by the nose.
5. The world and all means of communication should be open for the playful acts of creation.
6. The culture industry makes people believe that they participate in culture.
7. The city = organised emptiness.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
CTF GETTING REPPED HARD...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7961868.stm
and
http://www.lasthours.org.uk/archive/articles/capture-the-flag/
thanks to last hours for a great report
and
http://www.lasthours.org.uk/archive/articles/capture-the-flag/
thanks to last hours for a great report
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
CAPTURE THE FLAG II - BISHOPSGATE - GAME REPORT
…and so, under skies scraped by metal and glass we met for a second time to do battle in the wastelands of the city. Gathering at Liverpool Street we were granted an escort of the City’s finest policemen and women who believed that mischief might be afoot. Ignoring their sniffer dogs and camcorders we marched down to Bishopsgate, split into two teams and went to establish bases.
The first half began tentatively, with the Red Team slow to organise effective offensive tactics but the Black Team swelling the red team’s gaol. Some ninjas on the Black Team disguised themselves amongst a group of tourists getting shown around the Red Team’s base and leapt out to grab their flag, managing to run it to no man’s land before the red defence managed to wrestle it back. Meanwhile, the Red Team’s strikeforce was making repeated and valiant attempts upon the Black base, but to no avail.
Dissent echoed around the Reds’ swollen gaol and prisoners began to organise. Holding hands, they daisy-chained a line of prisoners out of the gaol and into the fingertips of a fellow Black player. In the ensuing jailbreak a full thirty Black players were released and, once again using the groups of tourists as human shields, made several attempts on the Red flag, the Red defence only barely keeping their flag safe
The first half ended and everyone made their way back to the No-Mans Land. The score was 0-0, with everything left to play for. The teams swapped territories and set about establishing new bases in gaols with a knowledge of the area gleaned from their own attacks on it.
Play resumed with new tactics hatched and new alliances formed. The Red Team had an initial difficulty finding the Black Team’s base, the Red scouts spending much of their time avoiding Black patrols. Unbeknownst to them, however, the Red Base was under repeated and highly organised attacks by the Black Team. Plans were made, code words were utilised to great effect and the Red Flag was snatched! A fearless and intrepid chase was put up by the Red defenders, but all in vain. The Black team had scored!
The Reds reeled from such a blow and were unable to regain their composure so late in the game. Subsequent attempts on the Black base were scattered, desperate. The victory of the Black Team was complete…
With all heads held high we meandered back to Bishopsgate, police escort still in tow, to trade stories of victory and defeat. In all we reckon we had about 120 players, including latecomers.
Thankyou all for coming and playing. We have plans to organise another game soon and have some ideas for locations, and are also thinking about a trialectic game with three teams and three flags. Let us know what you think.
The first half began tentatively, with the Red Team slow to organise effective offensive tactics but the Black Team swelling the red team’s gaol. Some ninjas on the Black Team disguised themselves amongst a group of tourists getting shown around the Red Team’s base and leapt out to grab their flag, managing to run it to no man’s land before the red defence managed to wrestle it back. Meanwhile, the Red Team’s strikeforce was making repeated and valiant attempts upon the Black base, but to no avail.
Dissent echoed around the Reds’ swollen gaol and prisoners began to organise. Holding hands, they daisy-chained a line of prisoners out of the gaol and into the fingertips of a fellow Black player. In the ensuing jailbreak a full thirty Black players were released and, once again using the groups of tourists as human shields, made several attempts on the Red flag, the Red defence only barely keeping their flag safe
The first half ended and everyone made their way back to the No-Mans Land. The score was 0-0, with everything left to play for. The teams swapped territories and set about establishing new bases in gaols with a knowledge of the area gleaned from their own attacks on it.
Play resumed with new tactics hatched and new alliances formed. The Red Team had an initial difficulty finding the Black Team’s base, the Red scouts spending much of their time avoiding Black patrols. Unbeknownst to them, however, the Red Base was under repeated and highly organised attacks by the Black Team. Plans were made, code words were utilised to great effect and the Red Flag was snatched! A fearless and intrepid chase was put up by the Red defenders, but all in vain. The Black team had scored!
The Reds reeled from such a blow and were unable to regain their composure so late in the game. Subsequent attempts on the Black base were scattered, desperate. The victory of the Black Team was complete…
With all heads held high we meandered back to Bishopsgate, police escort still in tow, to trade stories of victory and defeat. In all we reckon we had about 120 players, including latecomers.
Thankyou all for coming and playing. We have plans to organise another game soon and have some ideas for locations, and are also thinking about a trialectic game with three teams and three flags. Let us know what you think.
See you soon
GELDAUTOMAT %%%%%
Addendum
At half time a suggestion was made concerning the rules for tagging and imprisonment of players. It was felt that a defenders ability to tag multiple attackers was hampering gameplay by making a flag too easy to defend
Let it be known hereafter that a defender may only tag one player at a time and must lead them to the gaol for imprisonment. This rule was played through in the second half of the game and we saw that it was good.
Monday, 9 March 2009
SUGGESTED RULES/ORDER OF PLAY
PLAYERS ARE DIVIDED INTO TWO TEAMS, NEIGHBOUR
AGAINST NEIGHBOUR, BROTHER AGAINST SISTER. EACH
TEAM IS GIVEN GANG COLOURS/IDENTIFIABLE MARKINGS.
TEAMS RETIRE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES TO
ESTABLISH THEIR BASES AND THEIR GAOL.
THE BASE MUST DISPLAY THE TEAMS' FLAG PROMINENTLY
AND MUST BE ACESSIBLE BY AT LEAST THREE AVENUES/ BE
AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THREE VISTAS
A CHALK CIRCLE WITH A RADIUS OF TEN METRES IS DRAWN
AROUND THE FLAG. THE DEFENDERS MAY NOT ENTER THIS AREA.
EACH TEAM MUST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE OTHER TEAMS'
FLAG AND RUN IT BACK TO THEIR OWN BASE TO SCORE A
POINT.
WHEN A PLAYER IS IN THE ENEMY'S TERRITORY THEY MAY
BE TAGGED BY A DEFENDING PLAYER. WHEN TAGGED A PLAYER
MUST RUN BACK TO THEIR OWN BASE AND START AGAIN.
ALTERNATIVELY THEY CAN BE LED BY THE HAND TO THE
DEFENDING TEAM'S GAOL.
THE GAOL IS AN AREA THREE METERS IN RADIUS ESTABLISED
AT THE START OF THE GAME. CAPTURED PLAYERS MUST
LANGUISH IN THE GAOL UNTIL FREED BY A MEMBER OF THEIR
OWN TEAM. TO FREE THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM
A GAOL A PLAYER MUST SIMPLY TOUCH ONE OF THEM. THIS
WILL INITIATE A GAOLBREAK - ALL PRISONERS ARE FREED TO
RETURN TO NORMAL PLAY AND DO NOT NEED TO RETURN TO
THEIR BASE TO START OVER.
IF A PLAYER IS TAGGED WHEN IN POSSESSION OF THE ENEMY'S
FLAG THEY MUST DROP THE FLAG. THE DEFENDING PLAYER
MUST ATTEMPT TO RETURN THEIR FLAG TO THEIR OWN BASE.
HOWEVER, A DEFENDING PLAYER IN POSSESSION OF THEIR
OWN FLAG MAY BE TAGGED AT ANY TIME, REGARDLESS OF
WHOSE TERRITORY THEY ARE IN. IF TAGGED THEY MUST
DROP THE FLAG AND RETURN TO THEIR BASE EMPTY HANDED
TO BEGIN AGAIN.
IF A PLAYER MANAGES TO GET AN ENEMY'S FLAG BACK TO
THEIR OWN BASE A POINT IS SCORED. THE FLAG IS THEN
RETURNED TO THE ENEMY AND PLAY RESUMES.
AFTER THE FIRST HALF OF PLAY BOTH TEAMS RECONVENE IN
NO-MAN'S LAND TO BE UPDATED ON THE SCORE. TEAMS THEN
SWAP TERRITORIES, ESTABLISH NEW BASES AND GAOLS, AND
THE SECOND HALF OF PLAY BEGINS.
AGAINST NEIGHBOUR, BROTHER AGAINST SISTER. EACH
TEAM IS GIVEN GANG COLOURS/IDENTIFIABLE MARKINGS.
TEAMS RETIRE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TERRITORIES TO
ESTABLISH THEIR BASES AND THEIR GAOL.
THE BASE MUST DISPLAY THE TEAMS' FLAG PROMINENTLY
AND MUST BE ACESSIBLE BY AT LEAST THREE AVENUES/ BE
AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THREE VISTAS
A CHALK CIRCLE WITH A RADIUS OF TEN METRES IS DRAWN
AROUND THE FLAG. THE DEFENDERS MAY NOT ENTER THIS AREA.
EACH TEAM MUST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE OTHER TEAMS'
FLAG AND RUN IT BACK TO THEIR OWN BASE TO SCORE A
POINT.
WHEN A PLAYER IS IN THE ENEMY'S TERRITORY THEY MAY
BE TAGGED BY A DEFENDING PLAYER. WHEN TAGGED A PLAYER
MUST RUN BACK TO THEIR OWN BASE AND START AGAIN.
ALTERNATIVELY THEY CAN BE LED BY THE HAND TO THE
DEFENDING TEAM'S GAOL.
THE GAOL IS AN AREA THREE METERS IN RADIUS ESTABLISED
AT THE START OF THE GAME. CAPTURED PLAYERS MUST
LANGUISH IN THE GAOL UNTIL FREED BY A MEMBER OF THEIR
OWN TEAM. TO FREE THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM
A GAOL A PLAYER MUST SIMPLY TOUCH ONE OF THEM. THIS
WILL INITIATE A GAOLBREAK - ALL PRISONERS ARE FREED TO
RETURN TO NORMAL PLAY AND DO NOT NEED TO RETURN TO
THEIR BASE TO START OVER.
IF A PLAYER IS TAGGED WHEN IN POSSESSION OF THE ENEMY'S
FLAG THEY MUST DROP THE FLAG. THE DEFENDING PLAYER
MUST ATTEMPT TO RETURN THEIR FLAG TO THEIR OWN BASE.
HOWEVER, A DEFENDING PLAYER IN POSSESSION OF THEIR
OWN FLAG MAY BE TAGGED AT ANY TIME, REGARDLESS OF
WHOSE TERRITORY THEY ARE IN. IF TAGGED THEY MUST
DROP THE FLAG AND RETURN TO THEIR BASE EMPTY HANDED
TO BEGIN AGAIN.
IF A PLAYER MANAGES TO GET AN ENEMY'S FLAG BACK TO
THEIR OWN BASE A POINT IS SCORED. THE FLAG IS THEN
RETURNED TO THE ENEMY AND PLAY RESUMES.
AFTER THE FIRST HALF OF PLAY BOTH TEAMS RECONVENE IN
NO-MAN'S LAND TO BE UPDATED ON THE SCORE. TEAMS THEN
SWAP TERRITORIES, ESTABLISH NEW BASES AND GAOLS, AND
THE SECOND HALF OF PLAY BEGINS.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Rolling Thunder
http://thecloud.crimethinc.com/pdfs/rolling_thunder_2.pdf
This is the bi-annual journal put out by crimethinc, a loosely-knit american crew who do lots of interesting publications and other things. This issue, though a couple of years old, has a report from a group playing capture the flag in Des Moines.
Check out the rest of the website for more ideas.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
CAPTURE THE FLAG II
The lines have been drawn. Capture The Flag II will be held in the Bank/Bishopsgate area on Friday the 20th of March. Meet outside Liverpool St station, Bishopsgate entrance, at 6pm and we'll run around the financial ghost town having fun while all of the city boys and girls are in the pubs drowning their sorrows and quietening their fears.
Recruit, cajole and press-gang everyone you can, and feel free to print out the above flyer or make your own.
Rules and a map of the playing field coming soon.
DON'T VOTE, PLAY!
Sunday, 22 February 2009
FROM THE RECLAIM THE STREETS MANIFESTO
...ultimately it is in the streets that power must be dissolved: for the streets where daily life is endured, suffered and eroded, and where power is confronted and fought, must be turned into the domain where daily life is enjoyed, created and nourished.
The street is an extremely important symbol because your whole enculturation experience is geared around keeping you out of the street... The idea is to keep everyone indoors. So, when you come to challenge the powers that be, inevitably you find yourself on the curbstone of indifference, wondering "should I play it safe and stay on the sidewalks, or should I go into the street?" And it is the ones who are taking the most risks that will ultimately effect the change in society.
The road is mechanical, linear movement epitomised by the car. The street, at best, is a living place of human movement and social intercourse, of freedom and spontaneity...
CAPTURE THE FLAG ONE - COVENT GARDEN
...and so we had our first game of capture the flag in London, and it was good. We had no idea of how many people would turn up, consoling ourselves with the thought that even if ten of our friends turn up then we could have a small game amongst ourselves and the evening wouldn't be wasted. But over fifty people ending up gathering at the base of Nelson's Column, and so ramshackle rules were poorly explained, tribal markings were painted on faces and we all marched up to the battleground, flags flying high.
We decided on one round of an hour, and both teams ran into their respective territories to establish their bases and their gaols. The game started slow, but pretty soon both teams were fending off attacks from all sides on their flags. The Red Hearts' numbers began to be slowly choked as the Blue Lightningbolts dumped more and more of them in their gaol. Word got back to the Red Hearts base and a crackteam strikeforce managed to free enough Hearts to snatch the Lightningbolt's flag and run it back to score a point. Chaos ensued, with the prison population in Bluesville at record levels. Taking advantage of their opponents weakened defences the Lightningbolts launched a glorious raid and ran the Heart's flag back to their base in the closing minutes of the first half. A draw! BOO
Winded and sore the players reconvened on Longacre. A handful of players said goodbye and made their ways home but most stayed on for a second half, the lust for revenge burning in their lungs and legs. The teams swapped territories and established new bases and gaols. The Red Hearts, depleted by homegoers, contraversially established their base in the heavily fortified Neals Yard. In anticipation, perhaps, the Blue Lightningbolts centred their gaol around one of those portaurinal drop-pods on the farthest fringe of their territory. The shame! The humility! The lifetimes wasted there! It was quite funny though to watch the Lightningbolts who were defending their gaol try to clothesline every drunk guy who was just trying to run to do a wee, thinking he was a player attempting a jailbreak. However, the second half was a stalemate, practically trench warfare, with a couple of grabs on each side but none successful.
Regardless, everyone had had fun and the first Capture the Flag London had gone better than we'd ever dared to hope.
We've got loads of plans for other games in and around London, but the next one will be in the City, around Bank and Bishopsgate, some time in late February.
So keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on this blog for details of the next game, a provisional set of rules incorporating what we've learnt from the first game and other stuff we hope you'll be interested in. And please tell friends about the game. The more players, the more merkage!
GELDAUTOMAT
2012 TRUTH NOW PLZ
We decided on one round of an hour, and both teams ran into their respective territories to establish their bases and their gaols. The game started slow, but pretty soon both teams were fending off attacks from all sides on their flags. The Red Hearts' numbers began to be slowly choked as the Blue Lightningbolts dumped more and more of them in their gaol. Word got back to the Red Hearts base and a crackteam strikeforce managed to free enough Hearts to snatch the Lightningbolt's flag and run it back to score a point. Chaos ensued, with the prison population in Bluesville at record levels. Taking advantage of their opponents weakened defences the Lightningbolts launched a glorious raid and ran the Heart's flag back to their base in the closing minutes of the first half. A draw! BOO
Winded and sore the players reconvened on Longacre. A handful of players said goodbye and made their ways home but most stayed on for a second half, the lust for revenge burning in their lungs and legs. The teams swapped territories and established new bases and gaols. The Red Hearts, depleted by homegoers, contraversially established their base in the heavily fortified Neals Yard. In anticipation, perhaps, the Blue Lightningbolts centred their gaol around one of those portaurinal drop-pods on the farthest fringe of their territory. The shame! The humility! The lifetimes wasted there! It was quite funny though to watch the Lightningbolts who were defending their gaol try to clothesline every drunk guy who was just trying to run to do a wee, thinking he was a player attempting a jailbreak. However, the second half was a stalemate, practically trench warfare, with a couple of grabs on each side but none successful.
Regardless, everyone had had fun and the first Capture the Flag London had gone better than we'd ever dared to hope.
We've got loads of plans for other games in and around London, but the next one will be in the City, around Bank and Bishopsgate, some time in late February.
So keep your ears to the ground and your eyes on this blog for details of the next game, a provisional set of rules incorporating what we've learnt from the first game and other stuff we hope you'll be interested in. And please tell friends about the game. The more players, the more merkage!
GELDAUTOMAT
2012 TRUTH NOW PLZ
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